NONGPOH: The Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) central body on Wednesday gave the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) December 10 deadline for conducting fresh election for choosing the headman at Umsawnongkharai village. The decision was taken in a meeting of RBYF members and villagers on Wednesday at Umsawnongkharai.
The acting headman, Joseph Lyngdoh Thaiang, appointed by the KHADC recently, and his supporters did not attend the public meeting here even after a letter of invitation was sent to both the parties.
The row over the post of the Umsawnongkharai headman has been going on for some time as a few opposition members do not want the former headman A. Sun to take the post.
Speaking at the meeting, RBYF president B. Thangkhiew said the Federation is deeply concerned about the villagers’ plight due to the infighting over the post of the headman.
Thangkhiew said the meeting, which was attended by top Federation leaders, was not conducted to support A Sun, but to sort out the differences between both the parties and to condemn the “baseless allegations” of the acting headman, Joseph Lyngdoh Thaiang, that RBYF favours its former leader A Sun.
The Federation decided to meet the BDO of Umling C&RD Block and the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner for the election of a new chairman of the VEC by job card holders so that developmental works under MGNREGS scheme are not hampered.
He added that if the KHADC fails to meet the demands of the Federation by December 10, it will not hesitate to expose those who are working for self-interest and political mileage.
A general discussion was also conducted during the meeting where the local villagers voiced their opinions to the leaders of the Ri Bhoi Youth Federation in which majority of them confessed that they favour the former headman.
